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Guide

The marketer’s guide to AI-generated content

Modern audiences expect more—literally—from the brands they interact with. And the brands they don’t yet interact with can’t expect to catch the interest of new eyes if they aren’t keeping up with the relentless velocity of competitors. 

We’re faced with a chicken-and-egg conundrum: Did AI create the insatiable demand for content? Or was AI created to solve this newfound demand for content?

Whatever the root cause, content creation has undergone a seismic shift, with generative AI playing a central role in reshaping how marketers ideate, produce, collaborate, and captivate their audiences.

From understanding the nuances of AI to integrating it seamlessly into your content strategy, this guide is your roadmap to mastering AI-generated content creation.

 

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navigating the new norm

The content conundrum

Audiences are hungry. No, starving. We can blame it on the big guys who’ve spoiled us with hyper-personalized Netflix binges and endless Spotify playlists for every mood or temperament. The content bar has been raised, and not just for brands in the subscription services industry.

Businesses report that production volume is their biggest content challenge, regardless of industry

With the pressure of producing at record speed for various channels and touchpoints, content creators are especially feeling the heat.

It’s no secret that content creation is a time consuming, resource intensive task. In order to improve production numbers, AI-generated content needs to be a resource in every marketer’s arsenal.

Key challenges that content marketers reported in 2023

  • Creating more content faster
  • Finding resources for content production
  • Generating content ideas
  • Producing original and high-quality content

A look inside the AI revolution

AI is suddenly everywhere, and everyone’s investing in it

63% of marketing leaders

plan to invest in generative AI in the next 24 months

75% of executives

expect generative AI to cause significant changes in industry competition

$1.3 trillion in industry competition

expected by the generative AI market over the next 10 years

96% of organizations

say generative AI is on their boardroom agenda

But even artificial intelligence hits a wall somewhere

73% of marketers are now using generative AI tools, and according to Human Driven AI, more than half of US marketers are using AI every day. So, how can AI help?

 

What AI can do

  • Spark creativity and ideation
  • Generate first drafts of content and images
  • Provide predictive analytics data
  • Automate time-consuming tasks
  • Process and analyze vast amounts of data

What AI can’t do (yet)

  • Create on-brand and unbiased content without human intervention
  • Strategize and make decisions
  • Execute long term brand building
  • Build genuine relationships and customer communities

THE INDISPENSABLE HUMAN TOUCH

Will AI kill the marketing star?

In 2023, AI sparked a range of fears and misconceptions from the top down: that automattion of human labor will lead to widespread job loss, or even that incorporating AI-driven tools in the workplace will hinder critical thinking and problem solving, rendering employees complacent and less productive.  

  • But generative AI’s impact on productivity is predicted to add trillions of dollars in value to the global economy
  • And over half of marketers using generative AI for content creation say increased performance is the top benefit

Despite rapid advancement, the human touch remains indispensable. Marketing, at its core, is about connecting with people, understanding emotions, and building relationships. Sure, machines can analyze data, detect patterns, and offload cumbersome tasks, but the nuanced understanding of culture, the emotional resonance of a story, and the authenticity of a brand message is inherently human.

The future of marketing exists in this harmony: leveraging AI's efficiency with the depth, creativity, and emotional intelligence that only human beings—with actual human experiences—can bring to the table. At the end of the day, AI exists to accelerate, enhance, and revolutionize what we already do. It simply can’t replace it.

elevating your content creation

How to actually create AI-generated marketing content

From keyword research and blog posts to audience research and brainstorming, it’s time to get your hands dirty with practical tips for leveraging generative AI in your day-to-day marketing strategies.

Introduction: Learn the winning formula for a perfect ChatGPT prompt

Audience research: For the content strategists, campaign managers, and digital marketers alike. It all starts with knowing your audience. 

ChatGPT prompts used in this tutorial: 

  1. Act as a seasoned market analyst. Tell me the best pool of people who would 1) purchase an [insert desired product/service] for their business and 2) use an [insert desired product/service] in their day-to-day jobs. Tell me the sizes of the businesses, the industries, and the specific user and buyer personas.
  2. Take these [X] buyer personas and these [X] user personas and conduct persona research for each. Tell me what they do in their day-to-day jobs, their biggest pain points, what metrics their success in measured on, the tools or platforms they likely use, and what sort of resources (like websites, forums, or social platforms) they use to gain helpful information.
  3. Give me a customer profile of an [insert job title]. Include specific demographic and psychographic information like age, gender, location, education level, income level, professional and personal interests, hobbies, values and motives, lifestyle, media consumption, technology skills, and social media engagement.
  4. What are 10 pain points an [insert job title] experiences in their day-to-day job that can be solved by purchasing a [insert product/service]?
  5. What are 10 objections an [insert job title] might have about purchasing a content marketing platform? Provide a detailed rebuttal for each objection.

Brainstorming and ideation: For marketers looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and jumping off points.

ChatGPT prompts used in this tutorial: 

  1.  Act as an expert marketing campaign strategist with experience planning and executing [insert industry] marketing activities. Using what you know about [insert target persona], their interests, and where they spend most of their time online, tell me the top 5 marketing tactics I can use to target [insert target persona] with a message about [insert desired message]. For each tactic, I have a budget of [X]. 
  2.  Act as an expert marketing campaign strategist with experience planning and executing [insert industry] marketing activities. Give me 10 viral video ideas targeted at a [insert target persona] persona that are funny and persuasive about [insert topic].
  3. Act as an expert content strategist. You are writing a series of blog posts on different topics related to [insert topic]. Tell me the 20 most popular subtopics that will be useful for your target audience of [insert target persona].

    Follow up: Take these 20 subtopics and generate 5 engaging blog post ideas for each.
  4.  You are an expert content strategist. Take these 3 sub topics [topic 1, topic 2, topic 3] and create an editorial calendar that includes suggestions for video, email, blog, and visual content. Create the calendar with content suggestions for each day of the month. Be sure to take global holidays into consideration. Provide the calendar in table format.

Long-form content creation: For the copywriter looking to expedite the writing process. 

ChatGPT prompts used in this tutorial: 

Hot tip! Do not generate a long-form copy asset in one prompt. Instead, take your copy creation section by section with multiple detailed prompts. 

  1. You are an expert on [insert topic] Write two paragraphs on [insert section topic]. Be sure to include [detail 1, detail 2, detail 3].

    Then: Condense these two paragraphs into one paragraph. 

    Then: Use this paragraph to create a section of an article about [topic].
  2.  Give me [X] one-word synonyms for [insert buzzword].
  3.  Give me [X] two-word synonyms for [X] that start with the letter [X].

Keyword research and SEO: For the marketer looking to create relevant, on-trend content.

ChatGPT prompts used in this tutorial: 

  1. What are the 20 most popular subtopics related to [insert main topic]?
  2. What are the 20 most popular keywords related to [insert subtopic]?
  3. You are a keyword research expert. Generate a list of 20 long-tail keywords for the short tail keyword, [insert keyword]. Create a markdown table with a column for keyword and a column for search intent.
  4. I am writing a blog article targeting the keyword, [insert keyword]. Suggest 10 long-tail keywords and 10 short-tail keywords for [blank].
  5. What are 20 different popular keywords related to [insert topic] that I can target with a YouTube video?  
  6. What are some keyword improvements I can make on this article: [URL link]
  7. Act as an SEO expert. Suggest 5 title tags and 5 meta descriptions for this article: [URL link]
  8. Tell me why this headline, [headline 1] is performing better than this headline, [headline 2].
  9. You are a copywriting and SEO expert. Optimize the following copy for SEO with the main keyword being [insert keyword]. Use relevant short and long-tailed keywords related to [insert keyword]. Do not drastically change the copy:

Short-form content: Promotional copy for the social media manager, website copy for the product marketing manager, email copy for...everyone, and more.

ChatGPT prompts used in this tutorial: 

  1. Read this: [URL link]

    Then: Now using what you know, act as an expert copywriter promoting this web page. Write 10 promotional copy variations for each of the following channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook. Include a graphic idea to accompany each copy variation.

    Then: Now using what you know, act as an expert copywriter promoting this web page. Write 10 copy variations for LinkedIn Ads and Google Search Ads. Include an SEO optimized headline and description for each copy variation.

    Then: Edit the Google Search Ad variations to make the headline copy no longer than 30 characters, including spaces, and the description copy no longer than 90 characters, including spaces.

  2. Read this web page: [URL link] and summarize the key takeaways in this text into less than 10 bullet points. These bullets points will be used to create an infographic about [topic].

  3. Act as an expert copywriter. Rewrite these product features of my [product/service] and turn them into practical and emotional benefits for [target persona]. [Insert list of features]

  4. Read this webinar transcript: [paste transcript]

    Then: Using what you know, act as an expert copywriter. Create copy for a landing page to drive [desired action] for this [marketing activity]. Let the audience know what to expect, and use bullet points where appropriate to break up the copy.

  5. Act as an expert copywriter. Write a series of 3 emails promoting [marketing activity] to an audience of [target persona]. The email will be sent from the [company] brand account, so keep the tone of voice [X, X, and X]. For each email, include 5 engaging subject line variations, and 5 engaging preheader variations.

  6. I want to reach out to relevant websites with a cold email requesting a backlink, please provide a cold email template that I can use.

  7. You are an expert copywriter. Help me write a welcome email to my newsletter subscribers in a friendly and excited tone of voice. My newsletter subscribers signed up for monthly updates and resources about [topic], and I want to welcome them into the community with a short thank you.

Conclusion

Marketers at the heart of all content

To ensure that your AI-generated content retains that indispensable human touch, consider the following tips:

  • Review with a critical eye: Train your eye to assess AI outputs not just for accuracy, but for authenticity and relevance. It's about judging the quality of content in the context of your brand's unique voice and mission.

  • Strategic ideation is key: With AI shouldering the burden of content creation, marketers have the opportunity to evolve. Refine your skills in strategic ideation, conceptualizing more profound and impactful content angles, and finding overarching narratives that resonate deeply with audiences.

  • Deepen audience understanding: Use the time saved to invest in understanding your audience even better. Dive deep into their psychographics, preferences, and feedback, ensuring AI-generated content is fine-tuned to their wants and needs.

  • Collaboration and integration: AI-generated content becomes most potent when used collaboratively within teams and integrated cohesively across multiple channels. Take what you’ve learned today and share it with your teammates to promote a unified brand experience.

  • Continuous learning: AI evolves rapidly. Make it a priority to keep up, understanding new features, limitations, and possibilities, ensuring you always maximize its potential. 

Generative AI is a powerful instrument, but it's the marketer's human attributes—your human attributes—that machines can't replicate: your capacity to inspire, relate, and transform content into meaningful connections. Take the plunge, continue to adapt, and let your brand's authentic voice shine through, louder and clearer than ever before. 

See how Optimizely Content Marketing Platform works

Interested in more? To learn how Optimizely CMP leverages AI and supports modern marketing teams, check out this in-depth demo video that runs through the top 10 capabilities of Optimizely's Content Marketing Platform. 

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